One Hat, Two Hats
by Blackcat8539
Summary: ABANDONED. With England getting further and further behind her a new sense of freedom is settling over Alice. She is now in control of her future and what a future it is, but will she ever get the chance to go back to Wonderland? And will she ever find someone crazy enough for her?
1. Epilogue

Alice out of Wonderland

Epilogue

I felt the breeze pick up my hair as I waited for the ship to depart, it was exciting this new adventure, and I couldn't wait to see how far this new railway extended. Lord Ascot was as excited as I was about the development and was already below deck continuously going over the plans, I was about to go and join him but I couldn't miss the sight of the ship taking off.

Looking out across the water I caught sight of a blue butterfly lazily making its way towards me, it was such a wonderful startling blue colour.

"Hello Absolem," I greeted as he landed on my shoulder briefly, almost as if saying something mysteriously cryptic that was also encouraging.

Looking back at the dwarf I saw my mother waving as the boats departing bell rang. As Absolem flew off I waved back giving her a smile, I was really doing this, finally living my life the way I wanted too.

* * *

Ever wondered what happened to Alice as she started her apprenticeship? Did she ever meet a guy mad enough for her? Or was she always stuck in the past with events of wonderland?

And most importantly did she ever go back?


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer; I do not own the story parts, that belongs to someone else whose mind is very impossible.

The boat picked up speed as we left the dock behind, the sky couldn't have looked more welcoming if it tried as we ploughed onwards. Other people milled around the boat as well, though now that we were under way, having said good-bye to those who were not coming, they all seemed to be heading back below deck.

Looking out at the water the thought occurred to me, I wondered what it would be like to feel the water beneath ones feet. Would it be smooth or would you make ripples that would put you off balance? Would the water be a jelly like substance or hard resembling rock? I suppose it would be more like Jelly with it being water and all.

Pondering the thought I started to make my own way below deck, making sure that I didn't disturb anyone else in thought like myself because from personal experience I found that it was very annoying, I didn't want to inflict that on someone else so I made sure not to bump them.

There weren't that many levels to the boat, just six, which was enough to be a passenger boat but not big enough to have the outrageous prices of the cruise ships. It was owned by a friend of the Lord unsurprisingly, but it was a good boat none the less.

The hallways were carefully crafted to look comfortable and yet you could still tell that they were very much just bits of metal, it wasn't all that pleasant really travelling by boat but there was no other way just yet so by boat it was.

If it were just up to me I would spend most of the time top side but with the lord becoming sea sick easily below deck his cabin was our work space.

I started to hum a random tune that popped into my head as I approached his room, number 18, mine was the next one over number 19.

Knocking on the door I waited for his gruff response before opening it and letting myself in. He was slouched over his deck with a bottle in his hand, papers were thrown everywhere which would make it all a little more difficult, but then again the lord was looking very green.

"Are you okay lord Ascot? You are looking green," I told him in case he didn't already know, I mean how could one tell if their face was a normal colour or not? One cannot see it without looking in a mirror and there were certainly no mirrors in this room for him to use.

"I am certainly green child, this blasted sea is turning my stomach upside down, but I suppose I will have to ignore that if we are to actually get any work done on this trip. Do take a seat and we shall begin," he instructed as he heaved himself upright in his chair, screwing on the lid on the bottle and putting it away. It was a good thing to because I don't think that it was a human friendly substance.

Pulling up the only other chair in the small room I shuffled through the papers until I found the ones that I needed to work on before settling in for the next couple of hours.

The boat trip was only going to last about a week or so which meant that we had lots of time to fill the paper work out, and with Lord Ascot feeling as bad as he did it was going to take a while.

I sat through the hours though hand gliding across the page, Lord Ascot had gone to lay down quite a while ago now but the work still needed to be done. I sat through the rolling of the sea and turned on the light when the sun started to set. I only had a few more lines to do now though before I was finished for the day, I had also done some of Lord Ascots work because he looked in no condition to be doing them himself, after all a person looking that green could not possibly fill out paper work properly, they would be too worried about their colour.

Carefully stacking and putting it all away I stood up and tucked my chair in. I made sure that the Lord Ascot was as comfortable as possible, I had taken to looking after him as well as being his apprentice, though now I was quiet ready for my own bed. It had been a long day after all, with all mother's fussing this morning and getting everything ready for the trip.

We were going to spend the next year or so over in China, setting up the trade while the lord continued to teach me, it was going to be quiet the adventure I was sure.

Preparing for bed I gathered my thoughts and remembered all the impossible things I had thought of today, it was my daily ritual, obviously I didn't count the 6 before breakfast because they were mandatory anyway for a healthy start, but I did like to count the rest of them after all how is one supposed to know themselves if they couldn't remember all the impossible things they thought of that day. Turning out the light I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take me again, spending time with my friend sleep was a wonderful pastime, and a mandatory one, so I waited, and eventually my mind became fuzzy and my thoughts turned into dreams.

A/N I don't actually know where Alice lived so I don't know how long the boat trip would be, so I just said around a week. If you do know how long it would take please tell me, I'll fix it up right away.

But what did you think? Is it the right Alice? ;)


	3. Chapter 2

I woke just before the sun rose, I couldn't figure out why though, normally I always slept as late as possible, it was good for the mind if one could dream as often as possible and dreams where most likely to surface during the hours of the morning. Making my temporary bed I pulled on my dress and buttoned up my blouse, I no longer had to wear those ghastly heavy dresses that mother preferred at least, I still wore dresses but they were mostly light and never had any frill or lace. It was quiet and I was completely alone as I walked to the bow of the ship.

As the sun made its lazy assent into the sky's I wondered if the sun ever got bored watching over the millions of people that were on the earth, I suppose that there were quiet a lot of stories to be told though so maybe not, why it could be watching me for all I knew. What a thought though, that the sun was watching me, did it watch me all the time? Or just when something interesting was happening? I suppose there wasn't really a way to tell.

There was a very light breeze that without the full warmth of the sun was quiet chilly but not so much that it wasn't still pleasant and refreshing outside. There were never winds like this in wonderland, in fact there wasn't many breezes at all during my time down there, maybe they had all just been on vacation, I'd make sure to ask one if I ever went back. I did miss wonderland, but most of all I missed my dear old friend the Hatter, him and his green eyes…

Another passenger walked out onto the deck, interrupting my thought, it wasn't a wholly unpleasant either I was surprised to find, normally I dislike being interrupted mid-thought but for once I wasn't too concerned.

"Hello," the man greeted me as he joined me by the rail, it was very kind of him really to start talking to a complete stranger, but then who else was he going to talk to? There was no one else up this early, and after all it was always nice to have a bit of company.

"Hello," I replied, "It looks to be a fine day." I stated nodding to the horizon as the first rays of sun peeked over the sea, making everything light up touching the grey clouds that lingered in the sky turning them a dull pink, it was quiet marvellous.

"That it does." He seemed to be a completely normal man, it kind of disappointed me, for reasons I couldn't quiet name. How odd to have a thought that wasn't cooperating and not tell you what it was.

As I was deep in thought about thoughts I nearly missed what he said next, but I was glad that I didn't because what he said was very much interesting and very much something that I would say, in fact I had, had the same very thought moments ago.

"I wonder if the sun ever gets tired, rising and falling each day, there wouldn't be much to do I would imagine, but then again I suppose it could always watch us, that, I would think, would be very entertaining."

I turned away from the sun to look at the man whose thoughts seemed like mine.

"Can you steel thoughts?" I asked curiously, if he had stolen my thought then I suppose it was very reasonable to have the same one, "because I had that thought just before."

He chuckled, "Well that is a curious question indeed, but no I don't think I can steel thoughts, unless I am un-where of what is going on in my own head." It was then that he turned towards me and I finally got a good look at his face.

A soft gasp escaped me.

"Your eyes," I said in wonder.

"Yes, they are just like my mother's, my brother and I both inherited them, truthfully they have always made an impact." He nodded, oblivious to the real reason that I was stunned into silence. They were the brightest shade of green, just like the Hatters.

"Where is your brother now?" I asked, wondering if he was on board as well.

A sad sigh escaped him, and from that I could tell that no his brother was not here with him.

"My brother…" he started as his gaze wondered back to the rapidly rising sun.

"My brother decided his own path long ago, and I haven't seen him since. I do miss him terribly though, my big brother and I were very close." He shook himself out of whatever memory had taken hold giving me a grin to show he was back, "but why am I burdening you with my past? You must have your own stories to tell."

"Why yes, but doesn't everybody?"

"Yes, but right now there is just us and I am interested in what a certain young women is doing heading all the way to China for."

"Well you see…" I began and went on to tell him about my idea for the new trade route, and my apprenticeship to the lord Ascot.

We talked all through the morning, not concerned when others begun to awaken and come top side, the rest of the world just seemed to fall away as we exchanged stories. How he came to his current job of a tradesmen, it was because of his love of travelling you see, and how this was his second trip to China. We talked about the boat and the waves, he was the perfect person to talk to about walking on water.

We only went our separate ways when it was time for me to go and attend to some more paperwork, which was when we bid our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I did not see him for the rest of the day but I was sure that if I woke early again tomorrow and came topside I would definitely meet him again. After all I hadn't even gotten his name.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After finishing a mountain of paper work, though I don't think a mountain would fit in the room, I headed back up to the deck, I wasn't tired yet, though it was getting pretty late. I wanted to go and talk to the stars, they always told the funniest stories you see.

There were a few other people milling about, a couple going for a walk here, some other people just getting a breath of fresh air there.

I headed to the far side where no one could see me and laid down on the deck, my gaze rising up to the sky. I located the constellations that I knew and then I continued to find more, there were so many that I had never found before.

There was no wind tonight, maybe the winds here took holidays too, so it was the perfect temperature, not to cold and not to warm. The rocking of the ship was very peaceful and I found it was easy to let my mind wonder.

I was surprised when my thoughts decided not to linger on the mad hatter but on this new fellow who I did not know the name off. His eyes, so like the hatters, I never thought that some one could have the same shade of green. I wonder where the colour came from. Did it come from the grass? Or maybe the plants? Maybe it was the colour of green paint. It wasn't just his eyes that held my fascination no, it was also his mind, which was so much like my own. It might be possible his mind was just as bonkers as mine.

"Hello again." A voice said out of the darkness, think of the devil, maybe he didn't steal thoughts but he must be able to read them.

"How are you this evening?" I asked him from my position on the deck, I wasn't about to stop start gazing just because of company.

"I am exhalent, how could I not be on a night like this? All of those stars…" he trailed off, and as I turned my head to look at him I saw that he had turned his head to look up as well.

"You know, I find it much easier to look at them from here, laying down one does not have to tilt their head this way." I told him in a manner of fact, I was wondering though why he hadn't done it in the first place because it seemed to be the most logical course of action after all.

"Thank you for the advice I think that I will take it." and with that he laid out next to me.

"What constellations do you know?" I asked curiously, did he know many at all?

"Well, I know the popular ones of course and then there are…" he started to point out all the different ones he knew, some I had never heard of before but once he pointed them out I could easily see them.

I shared a few of my own and he seemed impressed that I knew them, If I thought about it I might get offended but there wasn't much time for that, after all I would like to focus of the new friend that I seemed to be making.

"You know," he begun after we had been staring at the stars for a while, "I never caught your name."

"Well, I hope not, if you caught my name what would people possibly call me?" I asked, what and odd statement.

He chuckled, "Yes I suppose that would be a dilemma I am glad in that case that I did not catch your name, nor you caught mine."

I laughed, he knew just what to say.

"What I would like to know then is what to call you? What is your name?" he asked, which was a much more reasonable thing to ask this time.

"My name is Alice, although there was some trouble a while ago about if I was the right Alice or not but that was sorted at quickly enough. What is your name?"

"I do hope that you were the right Alice, I can't imagine you being the wrong one. My name is Razi, Razi Bane."

"That is a wonderful name." I reapplied, it truly was after all, quite extraordinary, just like the man it belonged to.

"Why thank you, Alice is lovely, both the person and the name." he said as he turned towards me, propping himself up on his elbow.

"You are very kind," I said, as he was, no one ever called me lovely just my name.

"It is truly a pleasure, but after looking at the watch that agreed to tell the time for me I have to go, I have some work that sadly has to be done." He said with a sad smile on his face, I like that about this man, he was always honest and showed what he was feeling.

"Would you like to be escorted inside? Or to stare at the stars a while more?" He asked, which was very considerate I think.

"I think the stars have told me all they are going to for today so if you wouldn't mind I would love to have some company back inside."

"Your wish is my command." He said with a smile, he was such a gentlemen, so much nicer then Hamish, that boy only ever thought about himself.

He offered me his arm as I got up and continued to guide me along the ship as we walked through the night.

He truly was a brilliant man.


End file.
